Tulsi Gabbard Deserves the Support of the Surveillance Reform Coalition

​The nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence promises to be contentious. One thing cannot be disputed: The former Congresswoman from Hawaii and lieutenant-colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, with experience in Iraq and other dangerous countries, would bring a combination of responsible handling of secrets along with a solid record of surveillance reform.
 
Gabbard voted for the USA RIGHTS Act and other measures that would require warrants for the government to access Americans’ data and to protect personal use of encrypted apps. Rep. Gabbard also filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in 2019 to prohibit government purchases of body cameras equipped with facial recognition and other biometric devices.
 
In these and many other ways, Gabbard has compiled the record of a surveillance-reform leader. While in Congress, Gabbard served on the Homeland Security, Armed Services, and Foreign Relations Committees. A former Vice-Chair of the DNC, Gabbard made a long journey from being a staunch Democrat to supporting Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. As a private citizen, Gabbard is arguably a victim of surveillance abuse herself.
 
Her record on surveillance reform is enough to send shivers down the backs of officials in the FBI and other intelligence organizations long used to warrantless access to Americans personal information. Not surprisingly, Gabbard is now being attacked in a whisper campaign by nameless sources for being a flake who has taken pro-Russian and pro-Syria positions. Gabbard is articulate in responding to these charges, portraying herself as foreign-policy realist. We hope the Senate will keep an open mind and listen to Tulsi Gabbard’s defense.
 
Above all, we hope the Senate will consider the need to bring balance back to the intelligence community, which often helps itself to the purchased personal data of American citizens without bothering to seek a warrant. As a candidate, Donald Trump promised to reform FISA. Appointing Tulsi Gabbard to lead the intelligence community shows he’s serious about that. The next Director of National Intelligence should be someone who can restore a balance between the need to respect the constitutional rights of Americans and the need to keep America safe.

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